Following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Thursday, US presidential candidate Kamala Harris said it was time for the "day after to begin" in the Middle East.
The day after his death, however, Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah gave little indication any immediate fighting would stop, with both sides of the conflict instead buckling down on their conflicting demands.
After the Israeli military confirmed it had killed Sinwar, international leaders — led by US President Joe Biden — said that his death would allow ceasefire negotiations to move forward.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Sinwar, who was widely considered to be the primary architect behind the 7 October terrorist attacks, was a big obstacle in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. “On multiple occasions over the past months, Sinwar rebuffed efforts by the United States and its partners to bring this war to a close through an agreement that would return the hostages to their families and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Blinken said in a statement Thursday.So far, Israel has not given any indication it would be willing to start negotiations with Hamas or its Iran-backed ally, Hezbollah.